ESPN Sunday night games move up 1 hour in 2019.

Tired of staying up late on Sunday nights to watch the end of games when you have to get up early for work the next day?

Some, but not all, relief. Most ESPN Sunday night games in 2019 will be moved up one hour to start just after 7 PM instead of 8 PM Eastern time.

Some games will still remain at 8 PM.

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Harold Baines and Lee Smith elected to HOF. Piniella just short, no Boss.

George Steinbrenner didn’t come close to making the HOF, as he got less than 5 of the 16 votes from the “Today’s Era” panel.

Making the hall through this method were OF/DH Harold Baines, and relief pitcher Lee Smith. Lou Piniella, who was being considered as a manager, not a player, missed out by one vote.

Baines played for the White Sox (1980-1989), Rangers (1989-1990), A’s (1990-1992), Orioles (1993-1995), White Sox again (1996-1997), Orioles again (1997-1999) Indians (1999) Orioles yet again (2000) and finished with yet another tour with the White Sox (2000-2001). His #3 was retired by the White Sox in 1989…. when he was still playing.

Baines never got more than 6.1% from the writers while on the ballot. He had 2866 hits in his career, 384 HR. He was a 6x All-Star who finished in the top 10 for MVP voting twice. His 162 g. average was .289-22-93, OPS+ 121. He hit .324-5-16 in 31 postseason games.

Smith is third on the all-time saves list with 478 saves. He pitched for the Cubs (1980-1987), Red Sox (1988-1990), Cardinals (1990-1993), Yankees (1993), Orioles (1994), Angels (1995-1996), Reds (1996) and Expos (1997). He was a 7x All-Star who never got more than 50.6% on the writer’s ballot. He was 71-92, 3.03 in his MLB career, and his 162 g. average was 5-6, 3.03, 32 saves, ERA+ 132. In four postseason games, he was 0-2, 8.44 with one save.

Piniella, who missed by one vote, managed the Yankees (1986-1988), Reds (1990-1992), Mariners (1993-2002), Devil Rays (2003-2005), and Cubs (2007-2010), winning the WS with the Reds in 1990. He managed seven teams to the postseason. He was 1835-1713 as manager, winning pct. .517. His 2001 Mariners went 116-46 before losing to the Yankees in the ALCS. Eight of his teams won 90 or more games in a season.

 

Pitchers, 2019 S.T. schedule and 2020 AAA All-Star Game.

Sorry, was very busy at work with a lot of overtime and have been sick (to the point where I have very little voice left) but catching up…

Nathan Eovaldi won’t be coming back to the Yankees. The free agent re-signed with Boston on a 4-yr., $67MM deal.

Cleveland extended Carlos Carrasco for 4 years, but Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer may be had in a trade. Mike Clevenger is very cost effective for the Indians, so he may not be available.

Hyun-Jin Ryu re-signed with the Dodgers, one yr. $17.9 MM. Pitched well (1.97 ERA for them in 2018) but the lefty missed 1/2 the season.

Arizona may be looking to unload Zack Greinke’s salary in a deal, and the Giants may want to do the same with Madison Bumgarner.

But you wonder what the Yanks would have to give up in a deal. Miguel Andujar?

The Yanks are still looking to trade Sonny Gray and would like another starter to join Severino, Paxton, Tanaka and CC in the rotation. Hopefully a #3 or better.

Some free agents available are Happ, Lynn, Keuchel, Kikuchi,  Charlie Morton, Gio Gonzalez, Wade Miley…. so you can see outside of Happ and possibly Keuchel (who is up and down and slipping) a dropoff.

Apparently the Yanks didn’t even make an offer to Corbin. They apparently told him they were comfortable with $17-$20MM per year for 4-5 years and when Corbin said he was looking for Yu Darvish $$$ (and he eventually got 6 yrs at $23.5MM per from Washington), the Yanks basically said good luck.

The AAA All-Star Game will be hosted by the Yanks’ AAA club in Moosic, PA (Scranton/Wilkes Barre, or as is usually abbreviated, SWB).

Good video recently on the YES network showing how Luis Severino was tipping pitches at the end of last year. Apparently Boston picked up on it (hence Sevy’s poor outing in Game 3 of the ALDS) but the A’s didn’t (or else maybe Oakland wins the Wild Card game). It may also explain his pedestrian second half.

The Yanks announced their 2019 spring training schedule. Pitchers report Feb. 13, first workout the next day. Position players report Feb. 18 with the first full-squad workout the following day. The first spring training game will be Feb. 23 vs. you-guessed-it, Boston.

Sad to read about a failed car robbery that resulted in the deaths of two players (one being Luis Valbeuna) in Venezuela. You fear for the players from Venezuela and their safety, like Gleyber Torres. Maybe (hopefully?) Gleyber can just come and stay here in the U.S. instead of being subject to the B.S. going on in Venezuela.

 

 

Yanks lose out on Corbin to Nationals.

In the end, it didn’t matter that Patrick Corbin grew up a Yankees fan, or that his family, all Yankees fans, were hoping he’d sign with them (his brother apparently urged Corbin to sign with the Yanks while giving the best man speech at Corbin’s wedding). It didn’t matter that Corbin idolized Andy Pettitte or that maybe Ron Guidry could help Corbin refine his slider during some spring training tutoring.

It all came down to dollars and years. The Yanks offered 5 years and $100MM, and wouldn’t budge. Corbin chose the Nationals and 6 years, $140MM. So much for fulfilling your childhood dream of playing for your favorite team. Corbin chose the extra year and more $$. He joins Scherzer and Strasberg to give the Nats a formidable trio. Corbin also spurned the Phils, instead going to their NL East rival.

The Yanks now look to grab someone else. They could now bring back 36 yr. old J.A. Happ on maybe a two or three year deal (probably have to go three), look to Dallas Keuchel, or maybe Yusei Kikuchi of Japan (although a Japanese lefty still gives me Kei Igawa nightmares). If not a lefty, they could look at bringing back to NY Nathan Eovaldi or Lance Lynn. Or look into a trade with maybe the Indians for Kluber or Carrasco or see what Bumgarner of the Giants would cost. Other options exist, also.

But the #1 target, Corbin, is now off the board. Apparently, to borrow a NY Post headline from today, the Yanks are drawing their line in the sand and aren’t crossing it.

In other Yankees news, there are rumors of the Yanks moving Sonny Gray to the Brewers. No word on what the return could be.

The winter meetings start Sunday in Las Vegas. We’ll see what deals go down then, if not before.

 

 

Is trade of Torreyes a vote of confidence in Tyler Wade?

As I am at home sick without much of a voice (useless when you work on the phones in a call center), a blog post:

EliteSportsNY.com has an interesting article on Tyler Wade, suggesting that the trade of Torreyes may be a vote of confidence in Wade as the utility infielder.

It does give Wade the opportunity to run with it. Wade, however, hasn’t done anything in the majors in his limited time there. He is only 24, but is a lefty bat on a righty-heavy team. He also offers speed that the Yankees haven’t been using too much of, especially with Gardner slowing down. The Yanks were 12th in the AL in SB in 2018 with 63, with the team leader being Gardner with 16. Hicks had 11, and Didi, who’ll miss most of the 2019 season, had 10.

Wade needs to hit better. In the majors, he has been overmatched so far. In 124 MLB at bats, he is hitting .161-1-7, OPS+ 25. Terrible.

In 176 AAA games, Wade has hit .282-11-58 with 37 steals.

So maybe this trade of Torreyes is a vote of confidence for Wade, who can play all three OF positions as well as 2B, 3B and SS. It’s an opportunity.

Now Wade has to take advantage of it.

….. and I now have to return to trying to get my health and voice back ….

Yanks trade Torreyes to Cubs, to meet with Corbin today.

The Yanks on Wednesday traded infielder Ronald Torreyes to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

The Yanks will meet with free agent prize LHP Patrick Corbin today. Corbin met with the Phillies Tuesday and Washington on Wednesday.

As far as the Robbie Cano rumors, I have nothing to say on that unless it becomes fact…. and right now, even though Seattle may be shopping the ex-Yankee, there is nothing to go by.

 

 

Yanks claim pitcher, DFA Torreyes

From the NY Post:

The Yankees announced they designated Ronald Torreyes for assignment on Monday to make room on the 40-man roster for right-hander Parker Bridwell, who they claimed off waivers from the Angels.

Bridwell is a RHP, 27, and low cost, high reward. In 2017, he started 20 games for the Angels, relieved in one more, and was 10-3 with a 3.64 ERA (ERA+ 117). He was hurt for most of 2018, pitched in just five games, and was an awful 1-0 with a 17.55 ERA. The Yanks are hoping a healthy Bridwell can get back to 2017 form. For his career, Bridwell is 11-3, 4.60 (ERA+ 93) in 21 starts, 7 relief appearances.

To make room for Bridwell, the Yankees designated for assignment popular utility infielder Ronald Torreyes. A bit of a surprise move. Torreyes, 26, hit .280-0-7 in 100 at bats for the Yanks in 2018 (OPS+ 78). The diminutive Torreyes, in three years with the Yanks, 2016-2018, hit .281-4-55 in 570 at bats. (OPS+ 80). Not much power because of his small size, but the one knock against him (besides lack of power) would be that he rarely walked. In 607 plate appearances, just 23 walks. But a popular, versatile player, decent batting average, loved by the fans and in the clubhouse. He’ll be missed.